


Hidden Deep

by WordsInTimeAndSpace



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bad Wolf, Dimension-Hopping Rose, F/M, Reunions, Suspense, Telepathy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-03
Updated: 2017-12-03
Packaged: 2019-02-10 03:53:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12903438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WordsInTimeAndSpace/pseuds/WordsInTimeAndSpace
Summary: On one of her jumps across dimensions, Rose finally finds the TARDIS, but the Doctor is nowhere to be found. While she tracks him down, the wolf inside her stirs, sensing the danger ahead of her that threatens her and the Doctor’s life.





	Hidden Deep

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sequence_fairy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sequence_fairy/gifts).



> This year's Secret Santa fic for sequencefairy. I hope you enjoy! :)

The console room was cold when Rose slipped into the TARDIS, but it was the too dim light and the too quiet hum that sent a shiver down her spine. Something was wrong. She hesitated in the doorway, the unusual silence startling her, before she slowly stepped inside. The door fell shut behind her.

Her rapid breath came out as white puffs in front of her mouth and she rubbed her leather-clad arms, shuddering as the cold crept into her bones.

“Doctor?” she called, her voice high-pitched in fear. The words echoed from the coral walls of the console room, but there was no answer. It didn’t surprise her.

In a rush, Rose crossed the room towards the console, pressing her hands against the controls. She let out a breath of relief when she found the metal warm under her fingertips. The TARDIS was alive. Her gaze wandered up the central column towards the ceiling. The lights flashed in greeting, just for a second.

“What happened to you?” she whispered, stroking her fingers along the console. “And where is the Doctor?”

The hum of the ship changed, so faintly that Rose wasn’t sure if she had imagined it. She gulped down the tears burning in her eyes, refusing to let them fall. After all these years in a parallel universe and all these months travelling from one dimension to the next, this wasn’t how she had imagined to come home. And she was sure this was it - home. Not a different parallel dimension, another universe, but exactly the place she was supposed to be. It just felt right, the air around her, the ground beneath her feet, the soft tingle of the TARDIS in her mind. Letting out a long breath, Rose lowered her mental barriers and welcomed the ship in her head.

The change was immediate: the lights brightened around her and hum of the TARDIS turned from a faint whisper into a familiar buzzing. Rose grinned, relishing in the way the consciousness of the TARDIS wrapped around her mind, as if the ship was as starved for mental contact as she was.

Rose’s mind whirled as she tried to figure out what this meant. Not only was the ship physically abandoned, but apparently the mental link between the Doctor and the TARDIS had been affected as well. The Doctor had to be in serious trouble. The fear inside her made it suddenly hard to breathe. The thought that maybe she was already too late crossed her mind, just for a second, but the TARDIS quickly responded with a wave of reassurance. Rose pushed the emotions aside that welled up inside her. She might not be too late, but the urgency in the ship’s answer made it clear that there wasn’t much time left. She had to find the Doctor.

“Any help?” Rose asked desperately, looking up towards the ceiling. The TARDIS hummed, and a second later a beep sounded from the other side of the central column. In a rush, Rose rounded the console, letting out a breath when a screen lit up right in front of her. It showed a map, she realized after a few seconds. There was a dot in the middle - their current location, she assumed - and at the edge of the screen a small square that pulsed in time with the beeping. Rose wasn’t sure what it was. She had found the TARDIS in the middle of a forest, no sign of civilization as far as she could see. But apparently, this was where the TARDIS wanted her to go.

“Is that where he is?” Rose asked, a little breathless. The lights flickered and Rose took a deep breath. There was no time to waste.

Snow crunched under her feet as she stepped back outside. The TARDIS was parked next to a small clearing. Fog hung in the air, and together with the snow covering the ground the whole forest was painted in shades of white and grey, completely devoid of any colour. Although it was the middle of the day barely any sunlight made it through the thick clouds. Rose walked around the clearing, staring into the dark forest ahead of her. Every side looked the same, but there was something inside her insistently pulling her into one direction. Without contemplating where this feeling came from, Rose decided to trust her instincts and started walking.

The way led her deeper into the forest, over uneven ground, the thicket and the slippery snow making the hike difficult. Over and over again Rose feared to lose the track, to get lost between the trees where everything seemed to look the same. She struggled to push through a narrow path between some bushes when suddenly the trees cleared in front of her.

The ground sloped down right beneath her feet. Startled, Rose stumbled a step back, letting her gaze wander over the area in front of her eyes. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw a building at the end of the clearing. It was a large, rectangular house with two floors and a flat roof, barely any windows, the walls build out of grey concrete. Even from the distance it looked uninviting and daunting. There was no doubt that she had found the right place.

A high fence was surrounding the area, but it didn’t take long until Rose had found a hole to slip through. She hesitated just for a second, her eyes scanning the open plain in front of her. It was completely deserted. No guards, no patrol, no sign of life at all. An uneasy feeling spread in the depth of her stomach. Her mind tingled in alarm, but she had to keep moving. As quickly as she could, she dashed towards the house. There she slowed down, sneaking around the building until she reached the front.

A metallic door waited for her. Rose reached for the handle, her eyebrows shooting up in surprise when she pushed and the door actually opened a gap. Throwing one last glance over her shoulder towards the empty square in front of the house, Rose slipped inside.

She let out a yelp when she suddenly faced three creatures, standing in a semicircle in front of the door, as if they had been waiting for her. 

Eyes wide, Rose let her gaze wander over the figures. All three of them were tall, looking vaguely humanoid, but their skin was a sickly grey and their eyes were huge and dark. Definitely alien. All three of them stared at her, unmoving. The door fell shut behind her.

“Hello,” Rose said, breathless, attempting a smile no matter how hard her heart was thumping against her ribs.

The aliens barely acknowledged her words. The first one simply tilted its head to the side and stepped forward. Instinctively, Rose took a step back, reaching for the door handle. One of the aliens hissed and the lock clicked behind her. The door didn’t budge, and with the three creatures cornering her, she was trapped. Panic rose in the depths of her stomach.

“I’m warning you. I’m armed,” she threatened, her hand wandering to her hip. As much as she hated Torchwood’s weapon policies, in moments like this she was glad to have a stun gun on her. But before she could wrap her fingers around the handle, the aliens were attacking her. Long, thin fingers closed around her neck, and in the next second, the alien’s mind invaded hers.

Rose let out a helpless scream as it plunged into her head without any resistance. It burst through every last barrier protecting her thoughts. Too powerful was the presence in her head, too vigorous the onslaught. Thoughts and memories flashed in front of her eyes as the alien scanned through them. The Doctor’s face popped up, and Rose watched in horror how the alien followed the thread, burrowing deeper into her mind, accessing every last bit of information about him. Starting with “run” and ending with the terrifying white wall in another universe.

The pain was excruciating, paralysing her, but the alien just kept going until black spots were dancing in front of her eyes. Deep in her mind something stirred, as if it sensed the attack. A golden entity, both familiar and frightening, rose from a deep slumber. Protectively facing the alien’s consciousness. The wolf howled, fletching its teeth, and leaped towards the attacker.

Suddenly, the pain was gone. There was only gold in her head, numbing and reassuring and powerful. Rose vaguely registered how the alien’s mind was pushed out of hers. The alien let go of her neck as if it had been burned. And then, there was only blackness.

~~~

”Rose!”

A voice pushed through the fog in her head, making her stir. The ground was cold under her cheek, and her head was aching so much all Rose wanted to do was slip back into unconsciousness. But before she could drift off again, the voice sounded again.

“Rose, come on. Wake up. Please!”

Pleading, desperate, full of affection. And most importantly: strikingly familiar. Rose’s breath hitched. She knew that voice. The Doctor!

It took some effort, but eventually she managed to pry her eyes open, blinking into the dim light. She was lying on her side on the hard ground, and all she could see from her current position was the wall opposite of her. With a groan she rolled on her back, gasping when the movement made her head spin and nausea rise in her throat. She took a few deep breaths before focusing her vision. Above her was only a grey ceiling. No sign of the Doctor.

“Rose!” he yelled again, and this time she realized he wasn’t right beside her. “Are you- can you hear me?”

Rose winced.

“Stop shouting,” she mumbled, rubbing her aching forehead. Taking another deep breath, she gathered all her strength and finally pushed herself into a sitting position. The world spun around her, just for a moment, before her vision cleared. 

She was in a small, dark cell, the area separated from the corridor by thick bars. On the other side of the corridor was a cell that looked exactly like hers - but inside it, gripping the bars as tightly as he could, was the Doctor.

Relief flooded her all of a sudden, tears pooling in her eyes. She actually did it. She had finally found him - although the circumstances were not what she had hoped for.

“Rose,” the Doctor said, his voice a soft sigh of relief. Their eyes finally met.

“Doctor,” she whispered, wiping the tears off her cheeks. The Doctor swept his gaze over her, concern clear in his features.

“Are you all right?”

“Been better,” Rose admitted, pushing down the nausea churning her stomach. She let out a long breath. “Give me a minute.”

The Doctor’s gaze darkened. He gritted his teeth, his eyebrows drawn together into a frown.

“What have they done to you?” he growled.

“Could ask you the same thing,” Rose replied, running her eyes over his dishevelled form. His suit jacket was missing, the once white shirt he was wearing streaked with dirt. His face was pale, his hair a mess, his eyes dulled by exhaustion.

“How long have you been in here?” Rose asked as she got up on shaking legs.

“Oh, not too long. About three weeks, four days, six hours and twenty minutes.” He watched her in concern. “Rose, maybe you should sit back down.”

Rose swayed on her feet, bright spots dancing in front of her eyes. Gritting her teeth, she made her way to the front of the cell before sinking down, leaning against the bars. This was as close as she could get to the Doctor. The Doctor mirrored her position, sitting down at the front of his cell. There was only the corridor separating them, but it still felt like he was a whole universe away. Rose ached with the desire to embrace him, to hold his hand in hers. From the pained expression in his eyes, Rose suspected he was feeling the same.

“What are you doing here?” he finally asked, disbelief in his voice. “How can you be here?”

Rose smiled weakly. “Found the TARDIS,” she started slowly. She leaned her head against the bars, the cold metal soothing the ache in her skull. “Thought you got yourself in trouble and wanted to get you out. Rubbish without me, you are.”

The Doctor gave her a lopsided grin. “I definitely am,” he confirmed. “Is the TARDIS all right?”

“She was better once I was there. She missed the telepathic contact with you, I think.”

The Doctor nodded grimly. “Yes. I had to close off my mind completely. The Cronians, they’ve been trying to break through my barriers ever since they caught me.“

“Cronians? Is that what these charming grey blokes are called?”

“Yep. We’re on Cron, their home planet. Very similar to Earth, but it’s right on the other side of the galaxy. Did they attack you?” the Doctor asked.

“I think so,” Rose said, rubbing her forehead. The events before her capture were still a bit hazy in her mind, the memory still blurred. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to remember. Gold swirled in front of her eyes, just for a second, making her breath hitch. When she opened her eyes again, the Doctor was watching her with a concerned expression.

“I… I think they went into my mind, to look for information,” Rose explained. “Couldn’t stop them.”

The Doctor’s gaze darkened and Rose let out a sigh. “Stop that.”

“What?”

“Blaming yourself. It’s not your fault. I knew that it could be dangerous, right from the beginning when I first started jumping across dimensions.”

“We’ll have a chat about that,” the Doctor said, his frown deepening. “But not now. I’m afraid we’re getting company.”

He jumped to his feet in one swift movement, burying his hands in the pockets of his suit as he glowered at the door at the end of the corridor. Rose managed to get up just in time to see the door open.

Three of the Cronians stalked into the corridor. While one of them remained at the door, the two others went to the cells. The locks clicked open with just a glance of their black eyes. Rose let out a breath, hesitating for a second.

“You will come with us,” the Cronian at her cell hissed. The other one was already pushing the Doctor down the corridor. Rose hurried after him. The Doctor whirled around, reaching out to her. Just before Rose could grasp his hand, she was roughly pulled back.

“Leave her alone!” the Doctor yelled. Rose let out a grunt as the alien finally eased its grip on her, but it still towered in front of her, effectively separating her from the Doctor. Her shoulders trembling, Rose blinked away the tears of frustration that burned in her eyes.

“You can walk on your own,” the Cronian said, narrowing its huge eyes at her. Rose simply glared at him.

Silently, they were led away from the cells, through a long, narrow corridor and into a large, bright room. The sudden light stung in her eyes. Rose blinked as she let her gaze wander through the room, but she barely had time to look around. Curling its long fingers around her arm, the Cronian dragged her to the back of the room, forcefully shoved her down a chair, and let the manacles on the armrests snap shut. Opposite from her, the second Cronian was doing the same to the Doctor. Rose tried to pull her arms free, but it was no use. The cold metal painfully cut into the skin of her wrists.

The Doctor gritted his teeth, his chest heaving. “Don’t hurt her,” he said with barely concealed anger. “I know you brought her here because she’s important to me. But I’ll give you everything you want. Just let her go.”

“No!” Rose yelled in protest. “Doctor, you can’t let them do this!”

“I will not allow that you get hurt because of me! Just because-”

“Silence!” the Cronian standing between them shouted, its voice booming. “We are not interested in you any more, Time Lord.”

It turned around to Rose, focusing all its attention on her. Its eyes were dark and cold, and a shiver went down her spine. The Cronian tilted its head, regarding her with a careful look.

“Why would we want your mind when we have something much more powerful right in front of us?” it finally said, the thin lips curling into something that resembled a smile. Rose’s breath caught in her throat. She shook her head, confused.

“But, I’m not-” Rose started, the words dying on her lips.

“We have seen the wolf inside you,” the Cronian said. Her blood ran cold. “We’ve seen its power.”

Bad Wolf. Rose felt her breath quicken. No, it couldn’t be. Bad Wolf was gone. Blood rushed in her ears while she stared at the alien, too shocked to respond.

“But that’s impossible,” the Doctor said, gobsmacked. “I’ve removed the Vortex from her.”

The Cronian ignored him and only took a step closer to Rose. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Rose said, her voice trembling in fear. Panic rose in the depths of her stomach, making her head swim. Last time, Bad Wolf had killed the Doctor. She couldn’t let that happen again.

The alien simply smiled. A second one walked up to the Doctor, pulling out a gun. It raised the weapon to the Doctor’s head and pressed a button, the gun letting out a terrifying buzz as it charged. Electricity prickled in the air, making the hair on the back of Rose’s neck stand on end.

“No!” Rose cried, struggling against the handcuffs. “Leave him alone!”

“I’m sure you want to reconsider your answer,” the Cronian next to her said, its voice suddenly hard. Without mercy. “You will grant us the powers of the wolf, or the Doctor will die.”

Rose saw the Doctor gulp, his eyes wide, gaze jumping from her to the gun and back.

“I… I don’t know how,” Rose said desperately. “I don’t know anything about Bad Wolf!”

“You defended your mind with the help of the wolf!” the alien next to the Doctor cried. It pressed the barrel tight against the Doctor’s temple. The Doctor’s eyes widened in horror. “Give us access to this power!”

“I can’t!” Rose gripped the armrest of the chair as hard as she could. A sob ran through her chest, but she quickly gulped down the tears gathering in her eyes. For the first time, the alien in front of her showed any kind of emotion on its face. Pure anger was burning in its eyes.

“You will regret this,” it said, the words clearly a threat.

“Rose-” the Doctor started, wiggling in his chair and away from the gun, but the alien cut him off by roughly pulling his head back. Rose watched in horror how it adjusted its grip on the gun, one long finger curling around the trigger. Ready to shoot any second.

“Is this your final answer?”

Rose wanted to speak, but not a single word left her lips. All she felt was fear and hopelessness, but suddenly, something else bloomed in her chest. It burned in her veins, making her body tingle, from her toes into her fingertips. An overwhelming power. She knew that it should terrify her, but in this moment, she clung to this new thread of hope. Welcomed it. Gold swirled in front of her vision and she blinked, trying hard to keep her focus on the Doctor.

She barely registered how the alien huffed in front of her and finally took a step back. Breathing hard, Rose let the power flood through her body. The wolf growled within her, readying itself for the attack.

“Shoot him,” the alien commanded, and Rose let the wolf take over. Gold blinded her vision, dancing in front of her eyes, streaming out of her body as if she was the sun. With one flick of her wrists, her bonds were gone. The alien yelped as the gun dissolved into golden light right in its hands.

“No,” Rose heard herself say, but she didn’t know if it was her voice or Bad Wolf’s. All she registered was the endless energy coursing in her veins. All of time and space, at her mercy. Timelines flickered in front of her eyes, but Rose forced herself to focus on the Doctor and the two aliens in front of her. She let out a breath, letting Bad Wolf guide her movements.

The Cronians and the Doctor stared at her in shock and fear as she stepped forward.

“You will not harm him,” Bad Wolf said through Rose’s mouth. “You will harm no one else, never again.”

She raised her hand, and around her, the whole building dissolved into golden dust. The Cronians barely had the time to let out a scream before they were wiped from existence. In front of her, the Doctor sank to the ground, suddenly free. The horror in his eyes made her heart ache, but she couldn’t stop. Now that the power hidden inside her for so long had been unleashed, she was brimming with energy, unable to let go. It burned in every cell of her body, and while it had first been pleasant and warm, it was now excruciating. Her shoulders trembled.

“Rose,” the Doctor pleaded, desperate. “You have to let go.”

Rose shook her head, tears brimming in her eyes. Gold still swirled around them, illuminating the night.

“I can’t,” she croaked, the power of Bad Wolf taking her breath away. Helplessly she stood in the dark night, the energy overwhelming, untamable, killing her slowly. With a few quick steps, the Doctor was at her side. Rose let out a sob as he was finally within reach, for the first time in years after their separation. The Doctor ignored the gold swirling around her body, prickling on their skin, and determinately cupped her face in his hands.

“Keep your eyes on me,” he begged, raising his fingers to her temples. He gently brushed against her mind, the sensation a stark contrast to the entity of the Bad Wolf in her head, and without hesitation Rose welcomed him inside her head. He wrapped his consciousness around hers, calming and soothing. Rose kept her gaze fixed on his, drowning in his eyes. She desperately pushed through the power clouding her mind to focus on the feel of his fingertips against her skin, his shirt beneath her fingers, his whole body pressed close to hers.

With every breath the gold swirling around them ceased while the Doctor calmed her mind, extinguished the energy burning inside her. The wolf howled, fletching its teeth as if to rebel, but the Doctor didn’t back off. Gently, he calmed the wolf until its growl quietened. With his mind singing in hers, the wolf slowly retreated, back into the corner of her head where he had been hidden all this time. Every soft touch of the Doctor’s consciousness eased the pain in her skull. And finally, it lulled the wolf back to sleep. The golden shimmer that had illuminated the night and had been reflected in the Doctor’s eyes was suddenly gone.

Rose’s legs gave out underneath her as the power of the Bad Wolf left her body. The Doctor caught her before she could touch the ground, his strong arms holding her upright. Rose let out a shaking breath as she slumped against him.

Worry resonated in her mind through their telepathic connection. Breathing hard, Rose relished in the feeling of having the Doctor so close to her, not only mentally, but also physically. He was still embracing her, holding her close, while she wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face in his chest. She took in a shuddering breath and let out a laugh.

The Doctor’s concern peaked and she rushed to reassure him.

“I… I’m fine,” she managed to get out, her voice wavering. “It’s just- you’re here. You’re really here with me.”

“I am,” the Doctor said, his voice full of awe. He pulled back, enough to see her face. Rose smiled and he smiled back, so wide and carefree it made her heart stumble in her chest. The Doctor cupped her face in his hands, waited for her nod of approval, and finally pressed his lips down to hers.

Rose melted into the kiss, love and adoration and wonder pouring through their mental link into her body, making her knees weak in the best possible way. They both laughed, a little breathless, when they finally pulled back.

“Am I all right?” Rose eventually asked, tipping a finger against her temple to show the Doctor what she meant. The Doctor took a deep breath.

“I believe so,” he said. Carefully, he trailed his fingers over her skin. “Bad Wolf is back where it was all these years without causing any trouble. It was the Cronian’s violent invasion that triggered it to resurface.” His expression softened, a gentle smile on his lips. “As long as you don’t repeat anything like that, you should be fine. More than fine. You’re perfect.”

He pressed his lips back down to hers and Rose smiled into the kiss, pulling him closer by the lapels of his shirt. His cheeks were flushed when they pulled apart. Rose grinned, running a hand down his chest. Reluctantly, she stepped out of his embrace, immediately linking their hands together. The Doctor beamed at her, love and adoration shining in his eyes. Around them, snowflakes tumbled through the air. Rose squeezed his hand, and he squeezed back, before they started their way back to the TARDIS. She was finally going home.


End file.
